Here's to solitude

On Wednesday I referenced an inspiration book on which I occasionally draw, entitled Painted Prayers by Jody Uttal. The book contains her original art along with selected poems and prayers by other writers.

Today I want to leave you with a short one by the Bohemian-Austrian poet and novelist Rainer Maria Rilke:

"What is necessary, after all,
is only this: solitude,
vast inner solitude.
To walk inside yourself
and meet no one for hours—
that is what you must be able to attain."

What I've noticed, particularly in our society, is something approaching fear of solitude. Many people seem uncomfortable being alone or being in silence—alone with their thoughts. And yet, how else can we know ourselves? And knowing ourselves, don't we also begin to know and understand others?

I like the way he phrases it: "to walk inside yourself and meet no one for hours."

If you aren't used to solitude, try it just a little at a time until you develop a comfort level with yourself and your own thoughts. It's amazing what you can learn that way. For Rilke, solitude was a necessary prelude to creativity. See if you don't find it so.

Here's to women

This weekend is Mother's Day here in the U.S. It's a wonderful time to celebrate the roles of women, whether they have biological children or not.

Many women raise children born to other mothers. Many women nurture and nourish children who may not share a home with them but who live in other homes. Perhaps they're neighbors or children of friends. Perhaps they're students.

Many women give birth to things other than babies—books, art, projects, songs, ideas and creative pursuits of all kinds. Here's to those who birth dreams that nourish us all.

This weekend, give thanks to and for those women who raise children. And remember to give thanks to all those who in any way nourish you and help you grow, too!

'Get fired up today'

In her book The Woman's Book of Confidence, Sue Patton Thoele quotes Elizabeth Barrett Browning, "Light tomorrow with today!"

Thoele goes on to say, "Great advice, and following it means we have to get fired up today, aflame with the desire to follow our dreams.

"To fan the flames, we need to be enthusiastically supportive of our ideas, no matter how crazy or farfetched they seem. We are all creative—we have only to tune in to our night dreams to verify that—but so many of us throw the cold water of 'I can't do that' or 'My ideas aren't really very good' onto our original notions. ... Believing in ourselves is the most powerful bellows we can use to kindle the fire of creative thought."

Do you believe in yourself? Do you believe you are creative? If so, celebrate that—and lend support to those around you who don't. If you don't and would like a complimentary coaching session, I invite you to contact me.

Winter's cues for us

Where I live, it's winter right now. It's cold. The flowers and bushes that surround my house look dead. All dried up. Some have been cut back for winter. Others will be cut back in early spring. So we typically think of winter as the time when everything is dead, nothing is growing.

But think about it. Lots is happening under the ground. Things are preparing for that time just a few short months from now when they'll burst forth with new shoots and fill the world with color once again. So, although we can't see it, lots of growth is taking place. Rest allows renewal and prep time for rebirth.

Perhaps we can take our cues from the plant world. Animals do this, too, since many of them hibernate. Some simply slow down, trying to exist on what little food they've stored away somewhere or can find underneath the snow.

Winter is a good time for us to rest and be restored, too. Slow down. Rest. Let the inner juices flow quietly and calmly and think about where your creativity might take you this year. Then when spring arrives and you feel the same surge of energy that plants do, you'll be ready for the rebirth and growth that are coming.

How can you use this winter time? What inner preparations might you need to make so 2016 will be fruitful?

Creativity and energy

Yesterday I got a scam phone call that made me think, "What a waste of creativity and time." Since I don't answer cell phone calls from numbers I don't recognize, the call went into voice mail. Here's what I heard when I pulled off my voice mail, though.

In a fairly strident and forceful voice, a woman said, "This is the IRS. We've been trying to get hold of you for some time. The IRS is bring a lawsuit against you. You need to call back at this number immediately." Uh, I don't think so. For one thing, the IRS doesn't call us. The IRS sends very official looking letters and documents. For another, a lawsuit against me? For what? I pay my taxes, not only on time, but early, in fact. In addition, this is the first such call I've received; so I doubt the IRS has been trying to get hold of me for a long time.

Here's what comes to mind for me at such scams: I think of all the good that could be done in the world if all those who scammed the rest of us in any way at all put their creativity and time to good purposes. I'm thinking the world would be in much better shape. We all would be. The scammers surely would feel better about themselves, wouldn't they?

I can't control what these scammers do, however. What I can control is how I use my creative energy and my time. Are there things I could be doing to help others and serve the community that I'm not now doing? Might I carve out some time to do more? Can I really be creative in what the needs are—and what talents and resources I might have that can help? Instead of just pointing fingers at these scammers, I can use the experience to reflect on how I'm using my life in service to the greater good.

Where's your focus?

Sometimes when I face a problem or challenge in my life, I'm so focused on the problem itself that I can't even begin to imagine solutions. Ever have that happen?

At such times, I need to be reminded to get the focus off the problem—and instead, focus on the possibilities, the promise, the potential. All those other "p" words that will engage my creativity far more than the problem itself will.

I firmly believe that whatever we focus on gets larger. That being the case, it only makes sense to let the problem be for a while and take a look at possibilities and promise, doesn't it? Suddenly, solutions can present themselves that would never have occurred to us when we're all tensed up and noodling the issue itself.

It can be easier to get into that new focus if we do something relaxing or creative. Engage in some form of play. Do some yoga. Work on your favorite art project. Find something that can help you shift your focus. Then set about generating creative possibilities. Now, isn't that better?

Add in creativity

As you prepare your gift shopping list this year, remember to add in some creativity.

Think about the possibility of giving the gift of time. Perhaps you can promise to bake your son's favorite pie or sweet rolls. Maybe you'll give your spouse the gift of an evening out together at the symphony with dinner beforehand. Or perhaps you can promise to shine shoes once a month for the rest of the year. Possibilities abound.

There are so many ways to personalize your gift list, many of which are even more fun than something you've purchased from a store. Giving the gift of yourself and your time is a precious gift. It's a wonderful way to share your love.

Maybe you have some suggestions of things you've done in past years. If so, I hope you'll consider sharing them in the Comment box below. I would love to hear them, and I'm sure other blog readers would love the ideas you have.